Thursday, May 29, 2008

Here’s my weekly reminder to tune in to Sinking with Sylvia and Todd on Little Radio Friday from Noon – 2:00 PM PST. Tomorrow they won’t have a musical guest, but funnyman Matt Dwyer will be joining them in the studio.

Each week on the show, they feature an official You Set the Scene pick, which I eventually write about here. On May 8th, my pick was Squirrel Bait’s “Kid Dynamite.” I picked Squirrel Bait that day as a tie-in to their musical guest, Bobb Bruno. Bruno spent time in bands in Louisville, KY (including the For Carnation) and you can trace a lot of those great Louisville bands back to Squirrel Bait.

If you went to college in the early to mid 1990s and got really into indie rock, then you probably, at some point, traced your favorite bands back to Squirrel Bait. They’re one of those bands whose influence extends far beyond their initial record sales. They only released one EP and one LP in the mid-80s, but the members (Peter Searcy, David Grubbs, Brian McMahan, Clark Johnson and Ben Daughtrey) went on to play with: Slint, Bitch Magnet, Bastro, Gastr del Sol, the Lemonheads, the For Carnation, King Kong, Palace Brothers and many more.

The music’s impressive given that the guys were in high school when the band formed. It’s fast, melodic, post-hardcore (Husker Du), pre-indie rock. “Kid Dynamite” is probably their best song but most were good. I never liked them as much as Slint, but I still pull out the albums every once in a while.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Call me a sellout if you must, but somebody sent me a bottle of this tequila, so I'm going to write about it....

Like a lot of you, I enjoy a drink from time to time. Generally when I'm out at a rock 'n' roll show I'll start out with a bourbon and then switch to beer. When I'm at home, I'll drink a Scotch. When I'm with my lady, I'll drink red wine. When I'm at a Mexican restaurant, I always drink a margarita. And when somebody wants to do a shot, I typically choose tequila. So I know a thing or two about the taste of tequila.

The most important thing to remember when you look for a tequila is to get 100% agave. All 100% agave tequila is produced in Mexico (it's the law). 100% agave tequila is smoother and easier for your body to break down. The next thing to think about is whether you want white or silver tequila (unaged) / a gold tequila (unaged with a touch of aged and food coloring) / reposado tequila (aged for less than a year) / or anejo (aged between one and three years). In theory, the longer a tequila is aged, the smoother it will taste. However, tequila is aged in oak barrels, so as it smooths out it starts to take on oak-y flavors.

In the past few years, you've probably noticed that a lot more people are drinking tequila at bars. I see people ordering tequila cocktails and drinking it on the rocks. It's a fast growing segment of the beverage industry. As a result, liquor companies are introducing new products...

Which brings us to 1800 Select Silver Tequila. 1800 is an ultra premium brand owned by Jose Cuervo. The 1800 Select Silver is a new product that's 100 proof (most standard tequila is 80 proof). It's blended with a touch of aged tequila (for smoothness) but they haven't added any caramel coloring. The process makes it an ideal mixing tequila for those new premium cocktails. (A lot of the anejo tequilas are great for sipping, but the oak-y flavor can overwhelm the other ingredients in the cocktail.)

I've been sipping the Select Silver on the rocks and it holds up well. It's really smooth for a Silver Tequila and the extra alcohol content means it packs a wallop. It's great for shots too.

Records I've Heard:Butcher the Bar: Sleep at Your Own Speed (Morr) – Singer-songwriter out of Manchester. His voice sounds a lot like a combination of the lead singer the Boy Least Likely To and Elliott Smith. The vocals are breathy and double-tracked like Smith, but the lyrics aren’t as compelling. It’s a good listen though if you’re into this type of thing.

Julie Ocean: Long Gone and Nearly There (Transit of Venus Records) – Pulling their name from an Undertones’ song, Julie Ocean is a new band featuring Jim Spellman of Velocity Girl. Clocking in at 25 minutes, this should appeal to fans of well played power pop. Download “Number One Song”

Spiritualized: Songs in A&E (Fontana) – I don’t have a lot of patience for most of the druggy, spacey music that’s out there. Bands trying to emulate Jason Pierce’s bands (Spacemen 3 and Spiritualized), My Bloody Valentine and Jesus & Mary Chain are largely to blame. I can’t hold it against Pierce, who, despite occasional bouts of self-indulgence, is an original. Spiritualized’s first three albums are so good; I happily purchase each new release. After a near fatal illness, Pierce is back with the first Spiritualized record in five years (sixth overall in 16 years). Creatively, it’s a return to form. His voice sounds even more fragile and (a bit) damaged this time around. After the acoustic tour and fresh inspiration from a 1929 Gibson guitar, the songs are devoid of studio gimmicks and the space rock clichés, he helped create. RecommendedAt the Hollywood Bowl on 9/17/08.

Local Interest:I See Hawks in LA: Hallowed Ground (Big Book Records) – I See Hawks in LA should be given a lot of credit for helping spearhead the country music revival in LA. They’ve been at it for almost a decade and this is their fourth album. Nice three part harmonies with special guests on pedal steel and fiddle. See them tonight at 7:00 PM (Wednesday 5/28/08) at Amoeba or on 6/8/08 for their record release party at the Grane Ole Echo

Friday, May 23, 2008

Last week I made it out for Eli "Paperboy" Reed at Spaceland - great voice on that guy. Le Switch at the Echo (lots of fun). The Parson Red Heads and The Radar Bros. at the Knitting Factory - both sounded great, and I found some free parking behind the Roosevelt. Another week with tons of shows.....

Monday 5/26/08(Recommended) Le Switch / The Minor Canon / Vanessa Micale / The World Record @ the Echo (Free) - The last night of Le Switch's residency. I made it out again last week and had a really good time. Check out their Myspace page for something I wrote for their new album. The Minor Canon put out one of my favorite local releases last year. The World Record features a couple of the Parson Red Heads.(Recommended) Mezzanine Owls / The Quarter After / Exitmusic / The Asteroid #4 @ Spaceland (Free) - The last night of their residency. I like the Quarter After's new record.(Recommended) Foreign Born / Restavrant / Willoughby / Ride on Rides @ Viper Room ($10 or free w/ RSVP to Viper Room) - Foreign Born's record got some great press from other musicians.Porterville / The Fizzies / Rose's Pawn Shop / Sugar Panda @ Silverlake Lounge (Free)Anavan @ Pehrspace

Lots of veteran indie bands have new records out this week. Other than that, some people seem to be excited about the new Islands record.

Albums Released on 5/20/08:

Records I’ve Heard:

Scarlett Johansson: Anywhere I Lay My Head (Atco) – I first got a mini-crush on Johansson back in 2002 when she appeared in Ghost World. It’s the easiest thing in the world to hate on actors who decide to put out records (especially when they get engaged to other dudes). All that aside, the surprising thing about this record is just how blah her singing is. The phrasing in a lot of Tom Waits’ songs can’t be easy, but she chose the songs. While the arrangements from Dave Sitek (TV on the Radio) are interesting, the monotone is too much to overcome. The record’s not a disaster, but not something I’ll be re-visiting down the road.

The Explorers Club: Freedom Wind (Dead Oceans) – The Explorers Club nail the pre-Pet Sounds Beach Boys sound. From the Brian Wilson-esque falsetto and harmonies, to the summer / beach / school lyrical themes, to the arrangements, it sounds like the lost album between Summer Days (and Summer Nights!!) and Pet Sounds. This seems to annoy a few Beach Boys fans that I’ve talked to, but they do it so well, I think it’s a whole lot of fun. The press release mentions Emitt Rhodes, ELO and McCartney, but if you don’t like the Beach Boys, there’s no point in picking this up (but maybe download “Freedom Wind”). Recommended. See them at the Troubadour on 6/21/08Download “Do You Love Me?”

On the Shopping List:

Bonnie “Prince” Billy: Lie Down in the Light (Drag City) – The more I think about Will Oldham as a person (from what I’ve read secondhand in interviews), the less I like his music. That said, I still buy most of his full lengths.

Local Interest:Jeremy Jay: A Place Where We Could Go (K) – He’s getting a lot of really good press mentions. See the All Music 4/5 star review HERE. Stream it HERE. At the Echoplex on 6/20/08

The Parson Red Heads: Owl and Timber EP (Parson Farm Records) – Another solid set of songs from the local 60’s influenced band. I enjoyed their set at the Knitting Factory last night. “Crowds” and “Got It All” are my two favorites. See them at Boardner’s on June 17th.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Here’s my weekly reminder to tune in to Little Radio for Sinking with Sylvia (and Sometimes Todd) from Noon – 2:00 PM on Friday. This week their guests will be the Parson Red Heads, who will be playing on air and guest DJ’ing.

Each week, the show features an official You Set the Scene pick which I eventually write about here. On May 1st the show had an all 7” theme and my pick was Uncle Tupelo’s cover of the Soft Boys’ “I Wanna Destroy You.” Other than really liking the song, I picked it because it was a recent purchase from Freakbeat Records in Sherman Oaks. For the first time, I had enough time to scour their used 7” section and had some good finds (I also picked up a Teenage Fanclub 7” from their Matador days and an old Lou Barlow 7”).

Growing up in the Midwest, I became aware of Uncle Tupelo from an older cousin who was in college at the University of Kansas in the early 1990s. Uncle Tupelo was an incredibly influential band and is credited with spawning the alt-country genre. No Depression magazine was named after Uncle Tupelo’s first record, which itself is named after a Carter Family song. Even though I was exposed to the band during their heyday, I didn’t really become a fan until after they’d broken up and Jeff Tweedy had moved on to Wilco and Jay Farrar had moved on to Son Volt.

“I Wanna Destroy You” is the B-side to “Gun,” the first single from Uncle Tupelo’s second record. As I mentioned it’s a cover of the Soft Boys’ classic, written by Robyn Hitchcock. The song is a classic fuck the establishment song with simple, pissed off lyrics. “They fill your mind with boredom / And they lead you off to war” and “If you’re gonna fight / Then you’re just dying to get killed.” The song worked in 1980 when Hitchock wrote it and it worked in 1991 during the Gulf War when Uncle Tupelo recorded it and it still works today.

If you’re wondering where to start with the Uncle Tupelo catalog, the 89:93 Anthology is a good place. I tend to prefer March 16-20, 1992, which is their acoustic country album (produced by Peter Buck) but the anthology gives you a better idea of what they were as a band. Occasionally the guys lay on heavy, faux twang and their songs grate, but it’s a minor criticism.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Kassin + 2: Futurismo (Luaka Bop) – This is the domestic release (on David Byrne’s label) of Brazilian Alexandre Kassin’s 2006 record. The plus two in the group are Moreno Veloso (Caetano’s son) and Domenico Lancelotti. The record’s an easy breezy combination of samba, bossa nova and (occasionally) more psychedelic sounds. Americans Sean O’Hagan (High Llamas) and John McEntire (Tortoise) make guest appearances on the three bonus tracks from the Luaka Bop version. This music makes a lot more sense when you spend some time around the beaches in Brazil with a Brahma in your hand. Download “Ya Ya Ya” (features O’Hagan and McEntire).

Old 97’s: Blame It On Gravity (New West) – I wonder if all Old 97’s fans have the same sort of love-hate relationship with them that I do. Not being from Dallas, I wasn’t there from the beginning. I only got into them after they signed with a major label. Initially attracted to their poppier material, I later went back and discovered some of their twangier stuff. Around 2003, a friend of mine with a major man crush on Rhett Miller moved to LA from Texas. Fortunately for him, Rhett was working hard on his solo career and playing a ton of shows at Largo. I got dragged to all of them.

And that’s when the hate part of the relationship started to spring up. Watching Rhett swing his arm like a pendulum while he strummed the acoustic guitar with his blow dryed hair and a shirt unbuttoned to his bellybutton was just too much. Rhett moved away from LA. My friend moved back to Texas. And I stopped thinking about Rhett and the Old 97’s (with the exception of catching them at Stagecoach last year). So it was with apprehension that I put this one in the CD player. But guess what? It’s a damn fun record and complete return to form (recorded back in Dallas at Salim Nourallah’s studio).

The record starts with two songs that immediately call to mind classic Old 97’s tunes. As the record progresses you get some of Rhett’s (occasionally) corny love songs, but you also get Murry’s heart (and lead vocals on a couple of tunes) and Ken’s excellent guitar work. If you’d almost given up on Rhett and the band, you should reconsider. This one’s well worth picking up. See them at the Crash Mansion on 6/19/08

Local Interest:

The Submarines: Honeysuckle Weeks (Nettwerk) – The Submarines’ last record was all about the breakup of the couple that fronts the band (Blake Hazard and John Dragonetti). There were a number of call and response songs with the couple trading lead vocal duties. This time around it’s immediately obvious that they’re back together and couldn’t be happier about it. It’s a likeable, easy record to listen to – the kind of thing you’d be happy to hear coming from the speakers at your local coffee shop. “Xavia” sounds like a lost track from the Rentals’ Return of the Rentals. At the Echo on 6/13/08.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Another busy week. Tonight alone you've got Destroyer, Eli "Paperboy" Reed, The Kooks, Cut Copy, El Perro del Mar and Lykke Li (along with the great local bands at the Echo and Spaceland).

Monday 5/19/08[Recommended] Le Switch / Adeline and the Philistines / I Make This Sound / Nap Tunes @ the Echo (Free) – Le Switch are currently on a West Coast tour with the Radar Bros. Tonight they’ll be playing half acoustic with special guests. I Make This Sound are a whole lotta fun live. NapTunes is Joe from Le Switch’s band. Adeline’s band includes two of the Movies, Aaron from Le Switch and some of the I Make This Sound folks. So Aaron’s playing in three bands on the off night in the middle of a tour with another band.[Recommended] Mezzanine Owls / LoveLikeFire / The Henry Clay People / Eli “Paperboy” Reed @ Spaceland (Free) – Eli “Paperboy” Reed is a white dude from Boston who manages to sing like Sam Cooke. He’s gotten rave reviews from the likes of Mojo, The New York Times, No Depression and Nick Lowe. He goes on at 9:00 PM sharp. Mezzanine Owls are getting a lot of nice attention from some of the bigger national blogs. The Henry Clay People are one of the most fun local bands to see live.El Perro Del Mar / Lykke Li @ El Rey ($20) – A couple of beloved Swedish bands.Destroyer / Devon Williams @ Troubadour ($15) - I saw Destroyer at SXSW. If you love Dan Bejar, then you should definitely go.The Kooks / The Morning Benders @ Wiltern (Sold Out) – I managed to miss the Morning Benders’ record release show, but I know Bronson’s a big fan.Cut Copy @ Echoplex ($18) – Advance tickets sold out, so get there early to get in.Porterville / Silver Needle / Bang Sugar Bang / Brandon Mayer & the Hidden Powers @ Silverlake Lounge (Free)Bryan Adams @ the Roxy ($25)New Found Glory @ Safari Sam’s ($15)Jean Paul Yamamoto / Rainbow Arabia / Pinched Nerve @ Pehrspace

Friday, May 16, 2008

"I can't keep up/ I can't keep up/ Out of step with the world." That's how I feel trying to keep up with all the record releases. This updates almost two weeks old, but there were a lof of important local releases.....

Records Released on 5/6/08:

Records I’ve Heard:Elvis Costello: Momofuku (Lost Highway) – Elvis Costello has had a long and varied career. I’m one of the fans that isn’t along for the ride on everything. My favorites are: My Aim is True, This Year’s Model and Armed Forces. While the next few have their definite moments, I honestly haven’t paid that much attention for the last 20 years. This one’s recommended for old school Elvis Costello fans. The record was recorded and mixed very quickly and has a sense of urgency and sloppiness that I admire on those early records. I give it bonus points for Jenny Lewis, Johnathan Rice and Farmer Dave Scher appearing on the record. At the Hollywood Bowl on 5/27/08

Earles & Jensen Present: Just Farr a Laugh Vols. 1 & 2 (Matador) – You’re probably not surprised that my sense of humor is extremely juvenile. These are all ridiculously silly prank phone calls, most of which made me laugh out loud. Get a buttload of free MP3s (and ringtones) at Matador’s website. Download “Christopher Fucking Cross”

Morning State: You Know People I Know People – Indie pop-punk band (but not in a cheesy way) out of Atlanta. Spin compares them to Nada Surf. It’s a pretty fun record. Download “Spectacular”

((sounder)): Good Things Come and Go Like Bad Things (Volcom) – This is a musical project from the visual artist, Mike Aho and photographer Steve Stratton. Local artists Mel Kadel and Travis Millard contribute backing vocals and will appear in one of the videos. Matt from the Cold War Kids mixed it. Solid indie rock.

Local Interest:

Everest: Ghost Notes (Vapor) – The All Music Guide says “if you distilled Dark Side of the Moon, Pet Sounds and Revolver into a glass and poured it over the California surf, it would probably sound like this.” That’s about the highest praise you could give a band like Everest. I’ve written about these guys a ton already and this record doesn’t disappoint (it’s an early candidate for my end of the year top 10 list). I’m still patiently waiting for the vinyl. Highly recommended. See them at Spaceland on 6/16/08

Nik Freitas: Sun Down (Team Love) – Haven’t heard the record yet, but I enjoyed his recent set at Spaceland. He’s currently out on the road opening for Rilo Kiley. Download “All the Way Down” and “Sundown”

Meho Plaza: Meho Plaza (Better Looking Records) – Noisy local band that’s (starting) to get some love on Pitchfork. At the Smell on 5/31/08. Download “I Sold My Organs” and “The Beach”

Cheap Time: Cheap Time (In the Red) – The Other Music record store in NYC gave this huge props. Nashville kids influenced by early Sparks (not the shitty drink) and the Runaways. At the Echo on 7/30/08.Van Duren: Are You Serious? (Water) – I’m a sucker for these lost classics. Other Music says: “It's a perfect mix of Todd Rundgren, Emitt Rhodes, Badfinger, Raspberries, and Big Star.”

Kevin Bronson of the LA Times is reporting that the reunited Beachwood Sparks will be appearing at this year's Sunset Junction. The Beachwood Sparks previously announced a show at Sub Pop's 20th Anniversary in Seattle in July. I probably saw the Beachwood Sparks around 10 times back in the day (1997-1999) - from their early days a six piece with Josh Schwartz to their later days post-Sperske. Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like Farmer Dave will be a part of the reunion.

The lineup is shaping up well with Broken Social Scene, The Black Keys, Cold War Kids, Isaac Hayes, Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra and Kinky already announced.

The festival takes place August 23 and 24th in the Sunset Junction area of Silver Lake.

Here’s my weekly reminder to tune-in to Sinking with Sylvia (and Sometimes Todd) tomorrow from Noon – 2:00 PM PST on Little Radio. On tomorrow’s show, funnyman Matt Dwyer will be filling in for Todd (who is currently out on the road with the Radar Bros.). Sylvia and Matt will be joined in the studio by I Make This Sound.

Each week on the show, they play an official You Set the Scene song of the day, and then I (eventually) write about it here. On April 24th, my pick was the Dodo’s “Fools.” The Dodos are a San Francisco indie folk duo that I got turned on to a bit later than a lot of people. By now, most of you have probably recognized that, unlike a lot of my blog brethren, I’m pretty careful before recommending new bands. Anyway, they’re one of a handful of new bands that I can happily recommend. (I really like 12 of the 14 songs on the record).

The press for the record has been solid (they’ve got an 81 on Metacritic). A quote on their website from the San Francisco Bay Guardian says: “Elliot (sic) Smith meets Iron & Wine.” I like both of those artists, but don’t think of either one when I listen to Visiter. People also compare them to Animal Collective, which seems to make Animal Collective fans mad (but what doesn’t?). The only real similarity is that they’ve got an experimental spirit (mostly in terms of tempos) and play within an acoustic music context. The drummer has a lot to do with that.

Download these tracks and decide for yourself - “Fools” and “Jodi”Watch the video for “Fools” on Youtube

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

I just got back from the Dr. Dog show at the Hotel Cafe. Before they'd even played a note, Tables (the bass player) asked the crowd if we all felt like we were crazy, because that's how he feels when he's in LA. Somebody responded that it's something in the water and he said "I guess that's why I'm not thirsty." I wasn't sure how I felt about that, but luckily it didn't matter after they started playing...

We All Belong was in my top 10 list last year, and I still love it when I hear it. Dr. Dog's not on a full scale tour right now, so I assume this was a showcase of some sort. If you haven't been to the Hotel Cafe, let me start by saying that it's at Hollywood and Cahuenga (home of Cinespace, Beauty Bar, Star Shoes and other lots restaurants celebs invest in). Let me follow that by saying, that the Hotel Cafe had a second show of the night starting at 9:00 PM (so a one hour set was the absolute best case scenario). And let me follow that by saying that although the venue is tiny, stage right of the venue is cluttered with tables. Not the best environment for a Dr. Dog show. Not surprisingly, the band felt a bit stiff at first (also note that I've been fighting a cold and stayed in last night to try to preserve my health).

After a few lower energy songs, it was the Dr. Dog that their fans know and love. Great, melodic rock 'n' roll. The band toys with the classics (Beach Boys and Beatles) but bring a fresh and fun perspective. The handful of new songs from their forthcoming record, Fate (out on July 22nd), sounded like a natural progression beyond We All Belong. The familiar tracks from We All Belong still sounded fresh and fantastic. About 8:50 the sound guy informed them that they only had time for one more. Bummer. They finished on a high note to huge applause. They made us all anxious for the album release on July 22nd (and the show at El Rey on August 8th).

All photographs were taken by SylviaFor more of her photos check out my Flickr set

Old news now, but in the interest of being complete, here are the new releases from two weeks ago. Probably the most buzzed about release was the new Portishead, but I saw quite a lot of noise about Santogold, Robyn and Jamie Lidell too. Personally, I'm most excited about the new Awesome Color. Now if I could just find the time to go down to Amoeba to get it....

Albums Released on 4/29/08

Things I’ve Heard:Langhorne Slim: Langhorne Slim (Kemado) – The askew folk singer’s new one. See him at the Troubadour on 5/14/08. Download “Rebel Side of Heaven”Steve Winwood: Nine Lives (Sony) – I should have a guest review of this one soon. See him at the Hollywood Bowl on 6/25/08.

Things on My Shopping List:Awesome Color: Electric Aborigines (Ecstatic Peace) – Their first album was really good garage punk in the spirit of those great Detroit bands.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Monday 5/12/08[Recommended] Everest / Film School / The Savages / Castaneda @ Viper Room ($10 or free w/ RSVP to Viper Room’s Myspace) – Here’s a great night of free music. Don’t forget that Everest’s new record came out last week. I’m patiently waiting for the vinyl. Be sure to catch them Friday on Conan O’Brien. Film School’s well worth catching too. Joe at Radio Free Silver Lake is a big supporter of the Savages.[Recommended] Le Switch / Division Day / Henry Clay People / Princeton @ the Echo (Free) – I caught Le Switch’s show last week and now that I’ve absorbed the new record, it’s great to hear the songs live. Last week they did a rousing cover of McCartney’s “Monkberry Moon Delight.” This week is their “Covers Night” so they’ll do a song by each of the support bands and each support band will do a cover of Le Switch. Get there early and stay all night because The Henry Clay People go on first and are followed by Division Day.[Recommended] Mezzanine Owls / We Barbarians / Eagle and Talon / Black Kites @ Spaceland (Free) – Night two of the Mezzanine Owls residency.Porterville / Anchors Aaweigh / Daniel Ahearn @ Silverlake Lounge (Free)Nikki and Aaron Embry / Lukas Haas @ Hotel Café – I finally saw Amnion last week at Le Switch’s residency. Aaron Embry’s an extremely talented musician. The first half of the set had a total mid-70s Stevie Wonder vibe and they got a bit more experimental in the second half. Tonight they’re playing acoustic.Poi Dog Pondering @ Troubadour ($20)

[Recommended] Dr. Dog @ Hotel Café (Sold Out) – Early show at 8:00 PM. One of my favorite bands. This is a great chance to see them in a small venue before they come back in August to the El Rey.Gran Ronde / Sleepercar / Aushua / The Republic Tigers @ Spaceland ($8 / Free with RSVP to Gran Ronde on Myspace) – Sleepercar is Jim Ward from At the Drive-In’s new band. The record’s good. Gran Ronde is doing a Tuesday night residency. They’re getting some good press – a lot of people compare the lead singer to Robert Smith (but the music’s more upbeat than most Cure).Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin / Port O’Brien / The Black Watch @ the Echo ($10)Joe Jackson @ Orpheum Theatre ($35-45) – His new record’s good. I saw him in Austin a few years ago and had a lot of fun.The VLA / This Century @ Knitting FactoryI Make This Sound / The Breakups / Avi Buffalo @ Silverlake Lounge ($8) – I Make This Sound are a lot of fun to see live.Willoughby / The Billionaires / Western States Motel @ Hotel Café – Later show.Brett Dennen / Missy Higgins / Mason Jennings @ Barnum Hall in Santa Monica ($25)Tokio Hotel @ AvalonModified By Man @ Viper Room

Wednesday 5/14/08Radio Alert: Matt Costa on Morning Becomes Eclectic at 11:15 AM.Club NME: Efterklang / Slaraffenland / Karin Tatoyan @ Spaceland ($8) – Efterklang are a talented post-rock band from Denmark. Their two albums have gotten 7.4 and 7.9 from Pitchfork. Slaraffenland is Danish too and got a 7.9 from Pitchfork.Langhorne Slim / Ferraby Lionheart @ Troubadour ($12) – Slightly askew folk troubadoursCloud Cult @ Knitting Factory ($10) – There was a big feature on these guys in the Wall Street Journal last week. Their performance includes an artist who paints a picture which is then auctioned off at the end of the night.The Last Goodnight @ the RoxyKate Nash / Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players @ The Fonda ($20)Yoshida Brothers @ El Rey (Sold Out)Brett Dennen / Missy Higgins / Mason Jennings @ Barnum Hall in Santa Monica ($25)

The Spider Problem / Queen Kwong @ Silverlake Lounge ($8)Metallica @ the Wiltern ($203.50) – It’s a benefit, but I doubt that Ticketmaster is donating the $22/ticket convenience charge to the Silverlake Conservatory of Music. I’d probably pay it if I was a big fan.Saint Motel / The Ringers / Satisfaction @ Viper Room ($10)[Eraser] Five Year Anniversary Reunion @ Airliner

Friday, May 09, 2008

Getting up on Sunday was much easier than getting up on Saturday. A good night’s sleep is such a relief. We didn’t have anybody in particular we wanted to see until Charlie Louvin at 4:40, so we figured we’d relax and take advantage of the house rental. A couple of people invited friends over and we did some grilling. I took advantage of the pool a little, but it was overcast and cool out.

Around 4:25 we headed over to the festival grounds for day three. Charlie Louvin was already on stage. Most people don’t have the good fortune of being healthy enough to tour when they’re 80 years old, and I really enjoyed seeing him up there. He kicked it off with “Great Atomic Power” which was a Louvin Brothers’ song. I actually heard Uncle Tupelo’s cover before I ever heard the original. Between songs Louvin was cracking jokes and completely charming. His voice has aged, but it really suits his songs. Another highlight was “The Christian Life,” which he introduced by telling a Gram Parsons/Emmylou Harris anecdote. I only wish more people had ventured into the tent to enjoy the performance. Instead, we were forced to hear the sound bleed from Trace Adkins on the Mane Stage. Great start to the day anyway. By the way, The Louvin Brothers’ album cover for Satan Is Real is one of the best of all time.

Before the festival I was really looking forward to seeing the Carolina Chocolate Drops and then quickly dismayed by the fact that they were on at the same time as Louvin. Fortunately the stages were close so we were able to wander in and catch the end of their set. The Drops are a relatively young African-American stringband who play traditional fiddle and banjo music. It sounded fantastic on paper. When we walked in, the crowd was very enthusiastic and engaged. Unfortunately it came off as a little shtick-y to me. They totally lost me when they did a cover of Blu Cantrell’s “Hit Em Up Style” and one of the dudes was beatboxing. I was in the minority, because when they finished their set, the crowd gave them a standing ovation.

We wandered back over to the Palomino Stage and Billy Joe Shaver was performing. Shaver’s an outlaw country performer in the vein of Waylon Jennings (who covered a lot of Shaver’s tunes). You youngins might be familiar with Shaver’s voice from the theme song to Squidbillies. Anyway, Shaver’s a tough son of a bitch. I thought he sounded damn good and enjoyed seeing him play, but we decided to mosey on down the road.

We peeked our heads back into the Mustang Stage tent for a little bit of Michael Martin Murphey. Murphey’s a well respected songwriter who once had a band with Mike Nesmith and wrote some tunes for the Monkees. He did time in Austin and was active in the outlaw country scene. He’s written songs for Kenny Rogers and tons of others. You’ve all probably heard his hit song “Wildfire” without even realizing it was him. It was just him and an acoustic. His voice sounded nice, but being rocked that gently wasn’t holding our interest so we mosied on.

After a drink and a snack, we made our way back to the Palomino Stage for Jack Ingram. Ingram’s made his name playing Texas bars in mid-90s. After touring with Brooks and Dunn, he’s gotten a lot more famous. He was a good entertainer, but not necessarily my thing.

Poking our head back into the Mustang tent, we sat down for some Jerry Douglas. Douglas is an absolutely stunning dobro player. According to Wikipedia he’s played on over 1600 records - and it shows. Backed by a full band, it was like watching an amazing jazz band. I just sat down and enjoyed seeing a master at his craft. It was mostly instrumental, but completely engaging. Douglas is also a part of Allison Krauss’ band.

The act I was most looking forward to all weekend was George Jones. If pressed, I’d have a pretty tough time deciding if Jones or Merle Haggard is my favorite country singer of all time. I saw Haggard a number of years ago, and he was fantastic. I’d been warned to set my expectations a bit lower for Jones. At 76, Jones is no spring chicken (although he is four years younger than Charlie Louvin) and he’s abused the shit out of himself. The set was still pretty good. He didn’t do all the songs I wanted to hear, and cuts some of his best songs short, but I was still happy to see him.

We ended up leaving a couple of songs early to peak our head in on Ralph Stanley. All in all, Stagecoach is a superbly run festival. Attendance figures were reported at around 120,000 for the three days and everything seemed extremely smooth. I just wish the schedulers wouldn’t have put so many legends against one another. The way I figure it, you’ve got people there to see the modern stuff and people there to see the legends and less commercial stuff. Don’t make the people there to see the legends make such tough decisions.

Thursday, May 08, 2008

Here's my weekly reminder to tune in to Sinking with Sylvia (and Sometimes Todd) on Little Radio. The show can now be heard on Friday from Noon - 2:00 PM. Tomorrow their guest is Bobb Bruno. Bobb's played with a lot of bands over the years including: The For Carnation (with Brian McMahan from Slint), Polar Goldie Cats, Goliath Bird Eater and Imaad Wasif. He's also recorded a lot of your favorite Smell bands like: Silver Daggers, Abe Vigoda, Mika Miko and Nels Cline. He also plays solo shows around town in a bunny suit.

Each week, they play a track of my choosing and then I write about it here. I'm still way behind, so today I'm writing about my pick on April 17th, Nick Drake's "Northern Sky." Drake was on my mind after a weekend trip to Kansas (to help my Mom with her taxes). Drake and taxes don't really fit together, but I did take a copy of Trevor Dann's biography, Darker Than the Deepest Sea - The Search for Nick Drake to read on the plane.

Drake's one of those amazing, enigmatic cult artists who died way too young. He left behind three mostly fantastic albums (there are a few tracks on Bryter Layter that I can live without) that are essential for any serious acoustic/rock music fans. In 1999, I read Patrick Humphries' Nick Drake - The Biography, which posed more questions than it answered. So it was with reluctance that I picked up this new biography. To my surprise, Dann has written a much more conclusive portrait. Dann scored some great interviews with childhood friends, traveling companions, Linda Thompson and others who knew him. While some fans might view Dann's writing as conjecture, he seems thorough without being fawning. It makes for a very interesting read. Dann enhances the bio, with a fair amount of criticism of the music.

I picked "Northern Sky" because the book made me want to go back and re-visit Bryter Layter, which is my least favorite Drake record. The book goes into John Cale's (Velvet Underground) involvement with the record. "Northern Sky" is one of two tracks featuring Cale. The two tracks are superior to anything else on the record. There's been a lot of speculation about Drake's sexuality over the years. Dann's book explores all the possibilities. He was a good looking fella, and it's hard for most of us to imagine turning down Francoise Hardy or Linda Thompson. He seemed to become an asexual guy, but he was still able to write this stunning love song.

For newcomers, this is still the last of the studio albums to pick up. For Drake fans, the Dann biography is the first one you should pick up.

Watch a clip from the Drake documentary, A Skin Too Few.Go to Nick Drake's Myspace page and listen to "Northern Sky"

The good news is that My Bloody Valentine finally announced their LA shows. The bad news is that tickets are $50 + service charges (so I’m guessing a pair will be $130-ish) and that it’s in Santa Monica. Also, My Morning Jacket announced a show at the Greek.

The Parson Red Heads have been playing a steady stream of LA shows for the past two years. I've been a fan since the first time I saw them in August 2006. On Friday they're celebrating the release of their new EP, Owl & Timber with a show at Spaceland. If the two tracks on Myspace are any indication, it sounds like another great evolution for the band.

Their live shows are always fun. They've got an infectious energy and you can't help but smile throughout. Opening for them is another one of my favorite local acts, The Movies. Pretty damn good way to spend a Friday night. Also appearing are My Pet Saddle and The Monahans.

I've gotthree pairs of tickets to give away for the show. Email me [dukeufo at hotmail] and tell me who your favorite local band is at the moment. Please put ticket giveaway in the subject line.... The contest closes tonight at 9:00 PM.

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Waking up on Saturday wasn’t all that pretty. I think it was mostly dehydration and fatigue from working most of the day, driving several hours and then standing in a field watching the Eagles (staying up until 3:30AM and drinking might have had a little to do with it). There were eight of us staying in the house, and fortunately the bedrooms were spread out, so we didn’t wake each other up (tell that to Matt who was sleeping on the couch). Fortunately we had some bacon and eggs which helped me come around. I started feeling pretty good after a dip in the pool.

I was pressuring everybody to get moving because I wanted to see Ryan Bingham on the Palomino Stage at 3:30. Non-commercial, young performers were scarce on the lineup this year, and I’d been hearing good things about him. When we didn’t leave until 3:20, I was pretty nervous. My fears were unfounded. Our house was damn close to the festival grounds and we had a VIP parking pass. The drive took us about two minutes, we scored a great parking spot and a golf cart chauffeured us to the Palomino Stage. Effortless festival going does not suck….

Ryan Bingham’s a gravelly voiced singer from Austin. His debut album was produced by Marc Ford (former guitarist for the Black Crowes) and released on Lost Highway late last year. I haven’t heard the record yet, but the live performance made me add it to my list. His voice is rugged, the music’s fast and the songs make you want to drink bourbon. Ford joined him onstage for some ferocious guitar licks and slide guitar. He’s definitely an artist to keep your eye on. (I heard great things about Hayes Carll who played before him.)

After Bingham, we just started wandering the festival grounds. There are some major differences between Stagecoach and Coachella. For one thing, they have a barbeque contest. This year, Stagecoach only had three stages, so the barbeque contest was set up where the outdoor stage is at Coachella. You walk up, pay $10 for five tickets and then give your ticket to vendors who provide you with a pretty healthy sample of their barbeque. By the time we got there, a lot of the vendors were out of food, but we still got some good stuff.

Another big difference with Stagecoach and Coachella is that at Stagecoach, you can get hard liquor at any of the alcohol stations (you don’t need a VIP wristband) and you can walk the grounds with alcohol. I’ve been known to enjoy a bourbon and soda from time to time, so it’s a nice benefit to be able to watch a band and enjoy a real drink.

We ventured over to the VIP area to check that out. Packed like Coachella (wasn’t that bad in 2007). So then we went back to the artist relations area to see if there were any free drinks to be had. Heineken Light (came in a can and actually tasted better to me than Heineken).

We’d heard good things about Cherryholmes, so we wandered back over to the Mustang stage. We walked in right as they were talking about the Iraq war. Bummer. The young girl in the band sang some song about bringing her son home alive and it was pretty tough to take. We stuck around for one of the more traditional bluegrass songs, but it was tough to get back in the spirit of it. We stumbled over to the Palomino stage and caught a little bit of Cross Canadian Ragweed. They were dressed pretty ridiculously, so we wandered behind the stage so we wouldn’t have to watch them. Well played southern rock, but ultimately not that interesting.

The main attraction for us on Saturday was Dwight Yoakam. The guy’s a fantastic entertainer and wears tighter jeans than the OC kids at Cinespace on Tuesday nights. Anticipation started to build backstage as security cleared a huge path for him to get from his trailer to the stage. About six security guards/police surrounded him as he ran the 20 feet from his trailer to the stage. So ridiculous, but certainly amusing. Luckily he delivered. The guy has got a great band and a ton of stage presence. He threw in a ton of covers (as usual) but unfortunately didn’t do any Gram Parsons. Oh well.

We tentatively planned to stick around for Earl Scruggs at 9:35. We wandered back over to the VIP area for some free drinks. We caught a little bit of the Judds (why would anyone cover “I Wanna Know What Love Is”?) and then ran into our two friends that we rode over with. One of them was injured and one of them was hammered, so we decided to call it an early night. Rascal Flatts just wasn’t in the cards. We grabbed a golf cart and headed back to the car……

Monday, May 05, 2008

I had a great time at Stagecoach last year. The vibe was mellow and I saw great sets from Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Chris Hillman and Herb Pederson, Doyle Lawson, Neko Case, The Railbenders and Old 97’s. This year the festival organizers expanded the festival to three days and cut way back on the alt-country. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go or not?

A few days before the festival began, some excellent passes and a cheap place to stay fell in my lap. At worst, I figured we’d have a nice vacation in the desert. We set off for Indio about 5:25PM on Friday. The goal was to get to the festival in time to see Glen Campbell at 8:20. Being a Friday night in LA, the traffic was pretty awful until we got past Pomona. We ended up reaching the festival grounds around 8:15 PM. After a long walk to gate and a small snafu with our passes, we didn’t get in to the festival until 8:55. We decided to grab a quick bite and a drink and skip Glen Campbell tonight.

The Eagles are one of the most hated bands by indie snobs and punks. Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 is the best selling album of all time in the US (shipped 29 million copies / 41 million worldwide). I don’t usually voluntarily listen to the Eagles, but I have $1 copies of most of their albums and grew up with an older sister who loved them and stoner friends in high school who played the shit out of them. So I was apprehensive, but curious to see them.

So how were they?

They exceeded my expectations. I can’t say I was totally blown away, but there was something cool about hearing some of the most famous songs of all time performed live. The Eagles always had amazing harmonies, and if easy breezy was a genre, they’d be the kings. The band sounded great, they all looked pretty good and the Joe Walsh licks were there. I can’t remember the exact set list, but I feel like I heard: “Take It Easy,” “Desperado,” “One of These Nights,” “Lyin’ Eyes,” “Take It to the Limit,” “Hotel California,” “Life in the Fast Lane,” “The Long Run,” “In the City,” “Heartache Tonight,” Walsh’s “Life’s Been Good” (which he got in the spirit for) and Henley’s “The Boys of Summer.” I know there were more, but until I see a set list online, that will have to suffice.

All in all it was a great low key start to the festival. Fans walked away very happy. More about Saturday and Sunday later…….